Air India and Air India Express Flights Disrupted at Mumbai Airport as Ground Staff Go on Strike

Mumbai: Air India and Air India Express flights faced major disruptions at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Sunday following an alleged strike by AI Airport Services Limited (AIASL), the airline’s third-party ground handling agency.

Passengers of an incoming Air India flight from Hyderabad were left sitting inside the aircraft for close to an hour after landing, and then waited further for their baggage, according to a report by The Indian Express. Arrivals and departures across multiple flights were hit, causing a ripple of delays through the terminal.

Frustrated passengers vented on social media, labelling the situation an “absolute embarrassment.” One traveller waiting to board his Mangaluru flight said his departure kept getting pushed back. “If you can’t run operations properly, hand it back to the government instead of making passengers suffer every hour,” he said.

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A passenger booked on AI 2517 to Kochi scheduled to depart at 13:30 said he had been stranded at the airport, adding that “Air India staff at the airport have some unresolved issues.” Videos circulating on social media showed queues of passengers crowding the information desk demanding answers about their delayed flights.

In an official statement, Air India said the disruptions were caused by “industrial action by staff of a third-party ground handling agency” and that its airport teams were working with stakeholders to restore normal operations. Passengers were asked to contact airline staff at the airport for assistance.